There are several good mechanical engineering data books on the market but these tend to be very bulky and
expensive, and are usually only available in libraries as reference books.
The Mechnical Engineer’s Data Handbook has been compiled with the express intention of providing a
compact but comprehensive source of information of particular value to the engineer whether in the design office,
drawing office, research and development department or on site. It should also prove to be of use to production,
chemical, mining, mineral, electrical and building services engineers, and lecturers and students in universities,
polytechnics and colleges. Although intended as a personal handbook it should also find its way into the libraries
of engineering establishments and teaching institutions.
The Mechanical Engineer’s Data Handbook covers the main disciplines of mechanical engineering and
incorporates basic principles, formulae for easy substitution, tables of physical properties and much descriptive
matter backed by numerous illustrations. It also contains a comprehensive glossary of technical terms and a full
index for easy cross-reference.
1 would like to thank my colleagues at the University of Northumbria, at Newcastle, for their constructive
suggestions and useful criticisms, and my wife Anne for her assistance and patience in helping me to prepare this
book.
The field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), particularly micromachined
mechanical transducers, has been expanding over recent years, and the production
costs of these devices continue to fall. Using materials, fabrication processes, and
design tools originally developed for the microelectronic circuits industry, new
types of microengineered device are evolving all the time—many offering numerous
advantages over their traditional counterparts. The electrical properties of silicon
have been well understood for many years, but it is the mechanical properties that
have been exploited in many examples of MEMS. This book may seem slightly
unusual in that it has four editors. However, since we all work together in this field
within the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton,
it seemed natural to work together on a project like this. MEMS are now
appearing as part of the syllabus for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses
at many universities, and we hope that this book will complement the teaching that
is taking place in this area.
The prime objective of this book is to give an overview of MEMS mechanical
transducers. In order to achieve this, we provide some background information on
the various fabrication techniques and materials that can be used to make such
devices. The costs associated with the fabrication of MEMS can be very expensive,
and it is therefore essential to ensure a successful outcome from any specific production
or development run. Of course, this cannot be guaranteed, but through the use
of appropriate design tools and commercial simulation packages, the chances of
failure can be minimized. Packaging is an area that is sometimes overlooked in textbooks
on MEMS, and we therefore chose to provide coverage of some of the methods
used to provide the interface between the device and the outside world. The
book also provides a background to some of the basic principles associated with
micromachined mechanical transducers. The majority of the text, however, is dedicated
to specific examples of commercial and research devices, in addition to discussing
future possibilities.
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to MEMS and defines some of the commonly
used terms. It also discusses why silicon has become one of the key materials
for use in miniature mechanical transducers. Chapter 2 commences with a brief discussion
of silicon and other materials that are commonly used in MEMS. It then
goes on to describe many of the fabrication techniques and processes that are
employed to realize microengineered devices. Chapter 3 reviews some of the commercial
design tools and simulation packages that are widely used by us and other
researchers/designers in this field. Please note that it is not our intention to provide
critical review here, but merely to indicate the various features and functionality
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offered by a selection of packages. Chapter 4 describes some of the techniques and
structures that can be used to package micromachined mechanical sensors. It also
discusses ways to minimize unwanted interactions between the device and its
packaging. Chapter 5 presents some of the fundamental principles of mechanical
transduction. This chapter is largely intended for readers who might not have a
background in mechanical engineering. The remaining four chapters of the book are
dedicated to describing specific mechanical microengineered devices including pressure
sensors (Chapter 6), force and torque sensors (Chapter 7), inertial sensors
(Chapter 8), and flow sensors (Chapter 9). These devices use many of the principles
and techniques described in the earlier stages of the book.
